How to join
Parents and players may visit www.upward.org. Churches wishing to participate should visit wwwmyupward.org or call (800) 585-4721.
HAMILTON — Hundreds of children in Butler County have brought home its pamphlets, while hundreds more play in its leagues year-round at churches throughout the area.
But what, exactly, is Upward Sports?
A non-profit organization and the largest Christian sports league in the world, Upward Sports offers children between kindergarten and sixth grade the opportunity to participate in four sports — basketball, cheerleading, flag football and soccer — regardless of their faith, while focusing on building more than athletic skills.
“Upward Sports offers an alternative to the win-at-all-cost mentality,” said Caz McCaslin, founder and president of Upward Sports. “Through the ‘universal language’ of sports, we can connect with kids during their formative years to build character, promote positive values and develop healthy self-confidence.”
Upward’s creation was spurred through the success of a basketball league McCaslin started while serving as recreation director for a South Carolina church in 1986. The league — which stressed values on and off the court in addition to athletic ability — soon had a waiting list of children to play and outgrew the church gymnasium, leading to the establishment of Upward Sports in 1995.
“Upward Sports provides a fun sports experience based on healthy competition for kids,” McCaslin said. The programs mandate that all children participating get to play in each game.
The programs also give parents a break, requiring only one practice and game per week — a family-friendly alternative to the stereotypical schedule of other youth sports leagues.
The growth of Upward Sports has been tremendous, jumping from a total of seven churches participating in 1995 to approximately 2,400 in 2011. More than 550,000 children will participate in Upward Sports programs throughout the United States and Canada this year, with the number growing to more than one million when taking into account the number of people volunteering, coaching or refereeing in the programs, according to Michele Walton, senior communications associate for Upward Sports.
The success of the Upward programs — have also found their way across the globe, Walton said.
“Upward Sports does extend overseas,” Walton said. “Primarily through churches in the United States and Canada who decide to take Upward Sports ‘on mission’ with them when they travel.”
The Upward program has become prominent in Butler County as well, with several area churches throughout the county partnering to offer the sports leagues.
“(Upward) is one of the best programs out there right now for sports programs,” said Jeremy Spence, director of student ministries at First Baptist Church in Hamilton. “It had been something that I had been looking at for a while to bring to the Hamilton-Fairfield area.”
First Baptist’s program began three years ago through a partnership with North Fairfield Baptist Church, Spence said, and has grown from less than 100 players in 2008 to more than 200 this year — mostly through word of mouth but also with literature sent home with children through local school districts.
“It lets the community know what is available (with the programs),” Spence said.
The reaction of those participating in Upward — from players to volunteers — has been positive, Spence said.
“Volunteers are impressed with the fun aspects of it and the fairness,” he said. “It’s nice for parents because they know exactly what day and for how long practice is, and know their kid will play in each game.”
The leagues have also helped to bring churches in the county together, Spence said.
“In our region you have churches of all denominations coming together for a common purpose and for the community,” Spence said. “The partnerships that have formed between churches helps show a unified front and helps serve the community.”
The biggest impact of the leagues, however, may be on the children playing in them.
“(The children) get complete, positive reinforcement,” said Brian Graham, an Upward basketball coach with North Fairfield Baptist Church. “They don’t get cut down, they get strengthened.”
The growth and excitement of children participating is fun to watch as well as coaches’ focus on the well being of the child, Graham said.
“We’ve had kids completely come alive,” Graham said. “They’ve been down in the dumps but have different, better personalities (when playing in Upward).”
It also allows for children to realize they can have fun regardless of their athletic talent or lack thereof, Spence said.
“They learn that sports doesn’t have to be all super-competitive and that even if they’re not the best, they can still have fun and learn the sport.”
Contact this writer at spragoo1977@yahoo.com.
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